War
by KatastrophicKat
Summary: Bella made a pledge to a wolf who revealed his true nature to her before the battle with the newborns. After the battle, he reflects on the girl who has his heart.. The girl who still hasn't come back to them. Will she?


Pairing: Bella/TBA Wolf

Genre: Caring/Angst

Rating: R for mature themes but no smut

Summary: Bella made a pledge to a wolf who revealed his true nature to her before the battle with the newborns. After the battle, he reflects on the girl who has his heart.. The girl who still hasn't come back to them. Will she?

Song Inspiration: War by Poets of the Fall

Tricky Raven is not the owner or profiteer of Twilight or its characters. All recognizable characters, storylines and content is the work of **Stephenie Meyer** and her team. No copyright infringement intended.

He sat outside the little red house, listening to the cries of pain coming from Jake's mouth. His face was set in a mask of stone, displaying cool indifference and emotionless thoughts. But in his min there was no peace.

Before the battle, he had taken Bella aside. As he didn't know wether he would live or die, he felt it only fitting that she knew the truth before she threw her life away, and by extension his own.

_He had taken her by the hand, marvelling at the difference in her porcelain skin and his own dark tone. Her eyes had met his in stunned confusion. "I may die today." He said simply. She raised an eyebrow, almost as if asking why he was telling her this. "I have a confession. It's you. It's been you since the day I saw you in Sam's yard. You were so pained, but so beautiful. You were broken, but strong. I've watched you every day since then. I've watched you piece yourself back together when you used to struggle just to breathe. I know you. You aren't who any of us thought you were. And so I feel I have to tell you, as I put my life down for you today, that you are my imprint. You are my soul, my life, my everything.." He brushed his lips across hers briefly in a kiss that almost wasn'- And then he was gone._

**Do you remember standing on a broken field**  
**White crippled wings beating the sky**  
**The harbingers of war with their nature revealed**  
**And our chances flowing by**

_He had stood with his pack brothers, a proud wolf. His thoughts were on protecting his land, his heart and his people. He paid no attention to the leeches in his field of vision with their golden eyes. He waited for the ones who threatened his existance, and that of everything he held dear. He did not think of the girl who owned his soul, high on the cold mountain with two wolves and a leech for protection from a psychotic redhead who should no longer exist. He did not think of the look in her eyes, or how she had called for him when he took off after his confession. He thought only of war.._

**If I can let the memory heal**  
**I will remember you with me on that field**

_Every leech he bit into.  
Every screeching sound of tearing metal blaring into his ears._  
_Every drop of the lifeforce keeping these THINGS going that he tasted._  
_Every scratch, tear or almost bite the enemy landed._  
_Everything he felt or did in battle carried with it the weight of the girl who owned his heart's life._  
_He refused to fail, refused to fall. If he were to die, it would be because he saved her. His death would not be in vain! Fueled by his love for her, his NEED for her to live- he fought on. He pushed through the fatigue and the pain. He ignored the purple smoke from their burning 'bodies' in his eyes as he leapt and clawed and twisted as need be to destroy the unholy, unearthly beings who dared be created to serve a twisted purpose such as taking his imprint's life._

**When I thought that I fought this war alone**  
**You were there by my side on the frontline**  
**When I thought that I fought without a cause**  
**You gave me a reason to try**

_He saw through Seth's eyes as his imprint huddled against Jake for warmth. Still she shivered and kept repeating how she wanted the fight to be over. Edward was kicked out of the tent, a fact that made his wolf do a tiny happy dance. He tried to stay focused on the battle, letting himself take in bits of her image and what she was saying. Jake had long since given up and romantic feelings towards his imprint, as that's how the pack works so there's not fighting among the ranks. He was holding her, comforting her, telling her he was sure I was fine. Just as I was finally past my limit to the point of breaking, fuel was added to my fire once more. She told Jake that she owed it to us both to try, that she had felt something but she wasn't sure what it was. Her destiny wasn't to become a cold one and she knew that now. With a howl of victory, I was back._

**Turn the page I need to see something new**  
**For now my innocence is torn**  
**We cannot linger on this stunted view**  
**Like rabid dogs of war**

_He couldn't remember when Jake had left her to join their battle. Perhaps it was when Leah, his own imprint, was hurting and almost down. He cursed as the redhead came into view on the mountain. Too close! Too close to what was his! He surveyed the battlefield. There were only a handful left of the unholy creatures. He screamed at Sam, who gave permission to protect his mate. So he ran. He ran up the full mountain, ignoring the path. He jumped from rock to rock, stone to stone; dug his claws into the thick snow to gain traction. When he finally emerged behind the tent, he was hit with the smell of blood. Bella's blood. With a snarl, he jumped over the tent and infront of his mate, his BLEEDING mate, and snarled at the redhead who had dropped Edward at the scent of a possible meal. He lunged at her in rage, claws tormenting every inch of her stone-like flesh. In his head, he screamed at her. Finally, with the most horrendous, slow, tormenting sound of metal - he ripped her head off. His wolf shook it around in victory, her life substance spraying everywhere. He heard Seth warn him of the venomous substance and calmed his beast. With one last growl, he turned to his mate. He stood tall, proud and victorious before her. She took a step forward, as if to reach him.  
"Jake's been hurt." Edward informed, gripping Bella's arm a little too tightly for his liking. With a gasp, she jumped on Seth's back, "You're fastest. Let's go." And she was gone. He fought the urge to think something snide to Edward. He simply nodded his giant head and took off after his reason for living._

**I will let the memory heal**  
**I will remember you with me on that field**

**When I thought that I fought this war alone**  
**You were there by my side on the frontline**  
**And we fought to believe the impossible**  
**When I thought that I fought this war alone**  
**We were one with our destinies entwined**  
**When I thought that I fought without a cause**  
**You gave me the reason why**

_She had sat on his other side, held Jake's other hand, and cried tears over his broken body with Leah. Doctor leech was given permission to come on our lands to treat him, and I watched as she wrapped an arm around Leah's waist and followed with him. I stayed behind, picking up left over pieces of unholy life and tossing them into the raging fire. Purple smoke filled the air and it was a wonder no one had come to investigate. As we were finishing, she was back. But instead of coming to me, she walked to Edward. I shattered as she placed a hand on his arm delicately and whispered to him. She turned and looked at me, almost in silent apology. And I turned my back on her. I knew all she had to do was ask and I would gladly take her into my arms. I would breathe in her scent and take her as I could have her. But the pain in my heart grew.  
She was just another who had left me after being mine. She was, however, the quickest to leave._

**With no-one wearing their real face**  
**It's a whiteout of emotion**  
**And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall**

Now they stood outside the little red house. The leeches were gone. The fires were put out. Purple smoke no longer coated the sky. The screams stopped and they all looked up. Was Jake dead? Then everyone heard Leah whispering to him, and they knew he was alive.

But inside? HE was hurting. Re-thinking about his imprint and her defection was bleeding his soul. He chanced a look around, taking in the expressions on every face. She should have been there with them. She was pack. They had taken her in as one of their own. She had said she would try!

A twig broke at the edge of the drive and they looked as one. There she stood. His heart pounded. Her hair was a mess. Her face was streaked with dried tears. But then she took a step forward and whispered his name. She held a hand out to him, almost as if begging to not think the worst of her. Her eyes pleaded with him to take her hand, to let her live. His life was hers and if he didn't want it she would throw it away so no one else could have it.

He ran to her.

**When the love in letters fade**  
**It's like moving in slow motion**  
**And we're already too late if we arrive at all**

He ran to her and pulled her into his arms. Without thought, she wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. Without pause, their lips met in an explosion of passion and need that rivalled even the best written love scenes in books. He let himself drown in her scent, her taste, her essence; Let himself bask in the feeling of her warm flesh against his. He put her down only long enough to draw her into the darkness of the woods before pressing her against the tree and ravaging her mouth again. Tears fell down both their faces and whispered endearments floated through the small space between them as they broke their kisses.

**And then we're caught up in the arms race**  
**An involuntary addiction**  
**And we're shedding every value our mothers taught**

They finally came back to theirselves once they were out of breath and their fire had settled to embers. They were drunk on each other and high on the feeling of finding where you truly belong. He sat on a fallen tree and pulled her into his lap. She fit perfectly as she wrapped herself around him, moulding her body to his in effortless synchronization.

"You left with them." He whispered simply, burying his face into her hair. She ran her fingers through his cropped hair gently, "I had to say goodbye. I had to make sure once Carlisle is done with Jake, they would never come back. I had to tell Alice my choice. I tried to get you to understand, but then you were just gone. The Volturi came and Edward offered his service for 1,000 years in order to save my human life. We can be together."

He sighed happily, brushing small kisses over her shoulder, "We can? You understand who I am, Bella."

She smiled softly and tilted his head to look into her eyes, "I know you. We were meant for each other. I wish you had told me sooner."

"I didn't want to take your life.." He stated simply. She nodded and their lips met once more.

**So will you please show me your real face**  
**Draw the line in the horizon**  
**Cos I only need your name to call the reasons why I fought**

Dawn broke through the trees, reminding them of the long battle that had been fought almost 24 hours before. Hand in hand, they made their way to the little red house. The pack raised their heads in silent acknowledgement. They made their way inside and to the little bedroom that held Jacob Black. He was awake, holding Leah's hand and whispering sweet words of comfort to her. He was alive.

He met Jake's eyes as they walked in and Jake nodded his head in approval. "So Bells, you're going to officially be one of us?"

Bella smiled, "I am, Jake. Got a problem with that?"

He laughed, "Nah. I think I could get used to always having you around and not having to worry about what guy will want to eat you next."

She smirked, "Who said I'm not going to get eaten by the big bad wolf?"

Jake and Leah laughed. Leah stood and hugged her, "You've got guts, Swan."

Bella stared in shock. "Did you just hug me?"

Leah rolled her eyes, "Don't get used to it."

They left the little room, left the little red house and walked to a darkened place at the edge of the reservation. The house was a decent size. But it looked lonely. She looked up at her mate and he looked back down at her, "This is it. Think you can really bare being with me, Bella? I'll never be rich. I won't always be home. My hours aren't set in stone. People will talk about us.. About me.."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I don't give a damn about your reputation. You wanted me, so you're going to be stuck with me. I know you, Paul Lahote, and I can handle anything you throw at me."

**When I thought that I fought this war alone...**

So it was PAUL! YAY! So Poets of the Fall is this amazing band I just recently had myself exposed to. Their song, War, really spoke to me and I felt it needed to be translated into Bella and a Wolf. What better wolf than our own hothead?


End file.
